WestBend’s latest addition dishes out tacos, ‘not tacos’ and a beachy vibe
Bartaco, a Connecticut-based aspirational bar and taqueria chain, skews more San Diego than San Antonio.
With its beachy whitewashed patio featuring pillow-strewn booths, its mosaic blue-tiled walls, and, inside, its basket-pendant lights, the vibe is mostly mellow — even as industrial-sized fans whir away positioned at Defcon 1 and a crazy carousel of servers, one cuter than the next in their gingham-check button-downs, delivers your food.
If you’re looking for authenticity, try another address that doesn’t rhyme with WestBend. But if you’re searching for a pleasant-enough meal, where five tacos-per-person are the norm and margaritas on the rocks are whipped to a foamy head, well, you could do far worse.
Taking its cue from sushi bars, the ordering here is done on paper. Check off what you want—“Not tacos,” which are mostly small bites; tacos; sides, rice bowls and “for kids.”
Then, clip your order onto a sideways board, and that’s how servers will know you’re ready. It’s mostly intuitive, except when it’s not: The small and large kid’s trays don’t give you enough room to write what kind of taco your kid wants to order.
Horrors: We actually had to actually communicate with our server.
It’s a convoluted way of dining that struck as alternately annoying, amusing, and somewhat practical.
A bevy of servers alight across the patio, appear at your table or others, announcing “I have the (insert name of dish)?” in a singsong roundabout. The tight quarters make for awkward bedfellows, and at times I felt more invested in what the people next to us were eating than I probably should have been, but we made the best of it.
An order of guacamole, roja and verde salsas ($11) certainly helped. Served with tostadas, the starter featured a creamy, mostly whipped guacamole, and a spicy red and a more-nuanced green salsa. The tostadas had a sheen of fine salt on one side, which was a bit too much, despite the heat from the condiments’ best attempts at mitigating it.
The gazpacho ($5) a large bowl of diced cucumber, red peppers and onions in a tomato broth, drizzled with olive oil, was thankfully refreshing—it was 102 degrees that afternoon; patio fan adjustment, more like 93 — and a trio of buttery, crusty croutons bobbed atop, soaking up the liquid.
A small salad of cucumber ($2.50) in a red-pepper-flecked dressing was forgettable, and the brown rice bowl with sesame ribeye ($8.50), full of peppers and onions, seemed to be a virtual rejoinder to the restaurant’s next-door neighbor, HG Sply Co, who has built a name on such protein-heavy bowls. I liked the ribeye and the hearty rice, but was glad we had focused on Bartaco’s stock in trade.
Soon, the arrival of a platter of four tacos ($3.50 each) was announced, and each was about the size equivalent of three bites’ worth. All of the tacos come on pliant corn tortillas, which proved effective enough vehicles. The rock shrimp, crunchy and topped with a lettuce slaw (and more of that white sauce) was light and flavorful; the Yucatan redfish was similarly airy and less interesting; and the carnitas was mildly sweet and full of tender pork. The last taco was the pork belly, which our server pointed out is the most popular; you could see why. Large cubes of the rich meat, glazed in a sweet marinade, held sway with slices of pickled onions. We would have been just as happy ordering four of these instead.
Despite an inside dining room full of bros and a smaller contingent of people which looked like said bros’ upwardly mobile parents, Bartaco makes the younger set feel at home. A thoughtful kids menu offers a la carte tacos plus the small and large kids’ trays ($6.50, $14). Our young lady ordered the small and chose a chicken and cheese taco, which came with chips and guac, an afterthought of a cheese quesadilla and a fruit skewer.
The older fella, depleted after a basketball double-header that afternoon, had the bigger plate, which also included nicely portioned corn on the cob, dusted with what looked like cotija cheese. Sitting in a small, butter-slicked ramekin, the corn was terrific, retaining a little crunch and a lot of juice.
And the fruit skewers were a sight to behold. Not so much for these kids, but for the adults. Large chunks of watermelon and pineapple alternated, providing an ideal way to cap our meal.
As “Fame” by David Bowie screamed from the outdoor speakers and the sun began to dapple attractively across the Trinity, it was hard to say where we were in that moment.
Like a golden retriever on a dog walk along the adjacent trail, Bartaco is likable, attractive, and a mostly charming addition to Fort Worth’s restaurant family.
Bartaco
WestBend, 1701 River Run Suite #183, Fort Worth 76107
817-663-8226
Hours: 11am-12am everyday